Standard medicinal chemistry courses and texts are organized by classes of drugs with an emphasis on descriptions of their biological and pharmacological effects. This book represents a new approach based on physical organic chemical principles and reaction mechanisms that rationalize drug action and allow the reader to extrapolate to many related classes of drug molecules. The Second Edition reflects the significant changes in the drug industry over the past decade, and now includes color illustrations, chapter problems, and other elements that make concepts easier to understand.

* Organic chemist's perspective of how drugs are designed and function

* Teaches organic chemists and biochemists the fundamentals of drug design and drug action using drugs as examples

* Extensive use of references to the primary and secondary literature for more in depth reading about all concepts

* Extensive use of structures, schemes, and figures to illustrate points

* Explanations of dual-acting drugs

* Problem sets and answers for each topic

* Casual writing style

* Author has published over 200 articles in the areas of synthesis, bioorganic chemistry, and medicinal chemistry, has been awarded 21 patents, and has invented a drug that is under consideration for commercialization.